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The good, the bad and [The Mandalorian] OPEN SPOILERS

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    Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    Mr. "I Have Spoken" is an Ugnaught, who are known galaxy-wide as a technically-oriented servant race (hence him saying the bit about spending a lifetime to avoid servitude), and Mandos are trained to understand the equipment they use in case they have to fix it or alter it themselves. We already saw the Mando get the parts back, so who cares at all about seeing them put the ship back together? All that matters on that front is that the Mando is capable of working on said repairs himself, there's zero useful reason to waste time on them putting ship parts back in place.

    It just strikes me as griping that we don't "get" to see Luke spending days fixing up his X-wing after it spends days or weeks stuck in the swamp. All we need to know is that the related characters can repair their given ships, spending extra time watching it happen is just bloat.

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    HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    After seeing the shape his ship was in after the Jawas I was assuming that he was going to have to find a new ship so I actually appreciated a short montage showing the effort of the repairs. Without it I probably would have been annoyed that a ship that had more or less been reduced to scrap was space worthy with no effort.

    I mean yes I know that Ugnaughts are extremely mechanically inclined and that Mandalorians are supposed to know their equipment really well but my knowledge of the Star Wars universe is probably too expansive for my own good :P

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    Ninja Snarl PNinja Snarl P My helmet is my burden. Ninja Snarl: Gone, but not forgotten.Registered User regular
    Yeah, they probably really should have had something to explain that I Have Spoken has major technical skills. I really really doubt the average person is going to recall seeing that same race from back in ESB, but not nearly as much as I doubt the average person is going to know that that particular race is used for repairs and maintenance and whatnot.

    Though there is also the fact that the Mando seems to be rather pessimistic. He'd rather get a speeder than learn to ride the Bluurgh. He's completely scornful of the idea of trading with Jawas. He says it will take a week to fix the ship plus a maintenance facility, and they apparently piece the ship back to working order in something like a day or two.

    A more optimistic sort would probably have figured the same repairs would've taken them a several days of solo work to perform. Plus, the big things are just making the ship fly and making sure the air doesn't leave when you get to space. The latter part is a matter of sealing up all the right panels and should be pretty easy with the Star Wars tech; for the former, the engines were already almost in working order before he got the parts back. Welding a bunch of panels back into place would've been most of the work.

    It's like when I took my car door apart to fix the window. It looks kinda scary with all the pieces off, but it's really not that big a deal to put back together if you know the parts.

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    valhalla130valhalla130 13 Dark Shield Perceives the GodsRegistered User regular
    I had zero problem with the assembling the ship montage and its length, but I still find it funny that all futuristic sci fi working on ship sequences involve beating metal plates with hammers and arc welding.

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    Atlas in ChainsAtlas in Chains Registered User regular
    I don't like 30 minutes and a weekly release. They feel like bedtime stories. If they must be stretched over 2 months, I'd rather they were 45 minutes at least.

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    MvrckMvrck Dwarven MountainhomeRegistered User regular
    The big thing with re-assembling the ship, it was laid out by the Ugnaut earlier - Jawa's don't destroy. They were taking the parts to sell and trade them, which means they weren't just ripping them out, that would make them worthless.

    So yeah, the ship looked bad, but they weren't actually really building much from scratch, mostly just plugging stuff back where it belonged and screwing it in (minus welding the exterior to be airtight, and with Star Wars shield tech, it may not actually have had to be?).

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    DiplominatorDiplominator Hardcore Porg Registered User regular
    edited November 2019
    It might also just be some insight into the Mando's character. Yeah, sure, they're supposed to be calm, stoic, and implacable. He's doing his best. They're also supposed to not get their ass handed to them by a bunch of Jawas. He's doing his best, okay?

    I could definitely see him getting frustrated and exaggerating the challenges he faces. I do that all the time, at least initially. Then you get your bearings, break the problem down, and start with the stuff you can solve.

    Diplominator on
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    OakeyOakey UKRegistered User regular
    A good example is the part where theyre repairing the ship. The amount of talent on this show and the best they can come up with is a rushed montage, there was nothing more they could get out of all that?

    First episode was great, but this last episode just felt like the week's adventure.

    This is the first show I've seen where people are defending the runtime and justifying it with some outright BS. The suggestion that this is about the same length as other shows minus the commercials for example. No, not it is not, cut that shit out. Most shows are 42-45mins and run to 60mins with the commercials.

    The other excuse is how they'd rather have an episode under 30mins and good storytelling rather than 60mins of filler. In a show where two out of two episodes have had a Rocky style montage (one of which even had a score that sounded like a Star Wars version of 'Getting Stronger')!

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    Inquisitor77Inquisitor77 2 x Penny Arcade Fight Club Champion A fixed point in space and timeRegistered User regular
    new profile pic who dis

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    HappylilElfHappylilElf Registered User regular
    Oakey wrote: »
    A good example is the part where theyre repairing the ship. The amount of talent on this show and the best they can come up with is a rushed montage, there was nothing more they could get out of all that?

    First episode was great, but this last episode just felt like the week's adventure.

    This is the first show I've seen where people are defending the runtime and justifying it with some outright BS. The suggestion that this is about the same length as other shows minus the commercials for example. No, not it is not, cut that shit out. Most shows are 42-45mins and run to 60mins with the commercials.

    The other excuse is how they'd rather have an episode under 30mins and good storytelling rather than 60mins of filler. In a show where two out of two episodes have had a Rocky style montage (one of which even had a score that sounded like a Star Wars version of 'Getting Stronger')!

    Most hour long shows are 38-42 minutes to account for commericals/promos.

    Why should a show that doesn't have to deal with that be a length that accounts for that?

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    TarantioTarantio Registered User regular
    I would think that montages are montages for pacing, rather than to truncate the run time.

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    Capt HowdyCapt Howdy Registered User regular
    Tarantio wrote: »
    I would think that montages are montages for pacing, rather than to truncate the run time.

    Plus montages are awesome. So there's that too.

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    davidsdurionsdavidsdurions Your Trusty Meatshield Panhandle NebraskaRegistered User regular
    new profile pic who dis

    Just the excuse I needed to post this:

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    AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    edited November 2019
    new profile pic who dis

    You can tell how big an impact this show is having on nerd culture because people are outright ignoring all regards for spoilers

    Hell, I was listening to the crooked media daily podcast and they opened with a baby Yoda joke!

    Athenor on
    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
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    QanamilQanamil x Registered User regular
    I don't really have a thought either way on the run-time outside of I feel like the pacing has been really great so far. Scenes get to breathe, but we're still rapidly advancing with purpose. This might end up hurting the story at one point, but in two episodes at least I'm totally down.

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    Romantic UndeadRomantic Undead Registered User regular
    Me, this weekend: "Honey, wanna watch The Mandalorian with me? Folks are saying it's real good"
    Wife, rolling eyes: "Ok hon, sure, go ahead" *grabs iPad while I set up TV*

    *30ish minutes later*

    Wife: YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT A BABY YODA! YOU PLAY THE NEXT EPISODE RIGHT NOW, MISTER!

    3DS FC: 1547-5210-6531
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    TomantaTomanta Registered User regular
    Me, this weekend: "Honey, wanna watch The Mandalorian with me? Folks are saying it's real good"
    Wife, rolling eyes: "Ok hon, sure, go ahead" *grabs iPad while I set up TV*

    *30ish minutes later*

    Wife: YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT A BABY YODA! YOU PLAY THE NEXT EPISODE RIGHT NOW, MISTER!

    Sounds familiar...

    Tuesday:
    Me: "Want to watch the Mandalorian?"
    Wife: "I don't have any interest in it, go ahead." *stays in room and watches*

    Friday:
    Me: "Do you still have no interest in the Mandalorian?" (i.e., can I watch it on my own?)
    Wife: "Well, I didn't, but then you had to make me watch it and see baby Yoda."

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    Igpx407Igpx407 Registered User regular
    On one hand, I do wish the episodes were an hour long because I want more Star Wars damnit.

    On the other hand Rebels only had half hour episodes while simultaneously being some of the best Star Wars there is, and Filoni was involved with both Rebels and The Mandalorian, so at this point I trust him to deliver the Good Shit with whatever timeframe he deems necessary.

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    NightslyrNightslyr Registered User regular
    I'm not convinced yet that it is a great story. Baby Yoda is right up there with space whales, time tunnels, and Force wolves when it comes to Filoni adding goofy stuff. Time will tell, but so far, it's getting by on style over substance.

    Space whales are actually a pretty common sci-fi trope, so it's hard to blame Filoni for that. The time tunnel you mentioned led to a great character moment (specifically Ezra being tempted by Palpatine). And Force wolves added a much needed dose of mystery and mysticism to the Force, which had become far more mundane/practical and knowable during the prequels (see also: Bendu for added mysticism and weirdness).

    Moreover, Boda is the first infant we've had as an important character over the span of 10 films (and counting) and countless hours of television. There's a novelty factor, sure, but that alone doesn't make it bad or 'goofy'. Indeed, the novelty, in this case, speaks to their importance. This isn't blue milk or dice dangling in the Falcon's cockpit.

    And, hey, the plot might turn out to be shit, but the way in which it's being told is solid. In a saga that's exposition heavy, the Mandalorian stands out by not having characters outright explain what they're thinking or feeling. Silence combined with body language and shot composition is a hell of a lot better than hokey bullshit like "Anakin! You're breaking my heart!" or "I can feel your anger!" We don't need to be told the obvious, and there's a lot more to cinema than dialogue.

    Regarding the show's running time, I have no problem with it. Like someone else said, Tartakovsky's Clone Wars episodes were only about 15 minutes long on average. They also featured limited dialogue. Huh :p

    But, really, those complaints are really just another way of saying "I want more," which is a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with.

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    NightslyrNightslyr Registered User regular
    Igpx407 wrote: »
    On one hand, I do wish the episodes were an hour long because I want more Star Wars damnit.

    On the other hand Rebels only had half hour episodes while simultaneously being some of the best Star Wars there is, and Filoni was involved with both Rebels and The Mandalorian, so at this point I trust him to deliver the Good Shit with whatever timeframe he deems necessary.

    IMO, Filoni's track record speaks for itself. Not only did he give us Rebels, which was consistently above average to excellent, he gave us The Clone Wars, which managed to turn an obvious annoying child sidekick - Ahsoka - into one of the most compelling characters of the entire saga, and, even more amazing, turned Anakin into a protagonist to root for.

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    Linespider5Linespider5 ALL HAIL KING KILLMONGER Registered User regular
    I’m gonna guess that any consternation about episode run times probably has more to do with the episode count. A smaller number seems to imply a miniseries, which seems to imply episodes of an hour’s length or so.

    This is interesting to me, as streaming services continue to reinterpret old definitions for media-IE, what is an album, what is a season, etc-the Mandalorian is revealing an expectation about what a major episodic release should be.

    I wonder if shorter episodes will play better once the entire arc is understood.

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    King RiptorKing Riptor Registered User regular
    Animals using the force makes tons of sense and it existed in the EU way before Feloni.so the wolves aren't a weird thing to me

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    NightslyrNightslyr Registered User regular
    Thinking about it, I wonder if they're going to release season 1 on physical media once it's done? Eight episodes would be two 120 (give or take) minute 'films' (assuming slight re-cuts/editing changes) that could be a DVD (are those still a thing?)/Blu-ray set.

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    RedTideRedTide Registered User regular
    Preacher wrote: »
    That whole scene just made me laugh so hard. Just them being all excited he'd go get the egg, him being cramped in the crawler. It was that comedy that makes sense without being "ha ha wacky". I'd totally buy Jawas love the shit out of those eggs but can't normally get them because jawas so the fact they roped someone they hated into doing it to just give back his own stuff to him? Best day ever.

    Hypothesis: Jawas are little shits.

    Theory: Jawas are little shits

    Conclusion: Jawas are LITTLE SHITS

    (I love them)

    I laughed when the Mando just up and start disintegrating the little shits as fast as he could reload. But I completely lost it when they started throwing random trailer park junk at him. And then lost it again when he gets to the top and gets blasted by a half-dozen Jawas at the same time.

    He's trying so damn hard to be a serious Mando and get his stuff back, but those damn Jawas just will not let him operate with any dignity.

    I like to think his last thought before blacking out was "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes"

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    kaidkaid Registered User regular
    Episode being 30 minutes kind of actually bugs me

    Well, little over 28 (about 33 with credits) but why?

    30 minutes is really not enough time for a meaty show with due development and it showed. Half hour shows are the realm of comedies and sitcoms.

    I am a bit torn on it I would like more but frankly they are doing a good job so far of showing exactly what they intend to show without padding stuff out for the sake of padding and its working well for me so far.

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    NightslyrNightslyr Registered User regular
    Animals using the force makes tons of sense and it existed in the EU way before Feloni.so the wolves aren't a weird thing to me

    And the way the wolves were portrayed speaks to a pastiche of popular Native Americanism, which also fits the Force. They were, in essence, spiritual manifestations of Lothal itself... its ecosystem rebelling (heh) against the Imperial presence there and the damage it had caused.

    Even better, in true Force fashion, the wolves were mostly guides, with whatever overt actions they may have taken being a question of whether or not it actually happened like that, or if Ezra (who was established to have a deep Force connection with animals) was somehow unconsciously manifesting his powers in a different way.

    Practically, we've been told many times that the Force can guide one's actions. Moreover, it apparently made a Chosen One by itself. So tapping into some spirit guide/totem shit doesn't seem beyond the pale to me.

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    OakeyOakey UKRegistered User regular
    The other interpretation is that they simply couldn't come up with enough content to fill 45-60mins which would be something. Right now we're a quarter of the way through the season and it feels like it's barely getting started.

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    Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    edited November 2019
    Oakey wrote: »
    The other interpretation is that they simply couldn't come up with enough content to fill 45-60mins which would be something. Right now we're a quarter of the way through the season and it feels like it's barely getting started.

    Yeah episode two basically advanced nothing.

    Styrofoam Sammich on
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    SixSix Caches Tweets in the mainframe cyberhex Registered User regular
    To me, these episodes feel very light. It’s not that I necessarily think they need to be longer, but they feel so bite-sized that instead of really wanting more, I’m left feeling like, “that’s it?” The credits recapping the episode with art reinforces that. It feels like so little really happens in each episode so far that to then recap it with concept art feels kind of silly.

    I’ve enjoyed it so far and will keep watching, but I think I may just wait until the whole thing is out and then binge it. I think watching it in one or two big chunks will probably end up being more enjoyable for me.

    can you feel the struggle within?
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    kaidkaid Registered User regular
    Animals using the force makes tons of sense and it existed in the EU way before Feloni.so the wolves aren't a weird thing to me
    Animals using the force makes tons of sense and it existed in the EU way before Feloni.so the wolves aren't a weird thing to me

    Given the force is in all living things it really should not be surprising that sometimes it manifests strongly in certain animals. Generally if something is intelligent enough and in tune with the force then force powers/sensitivity are possible.

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    OakeyOakey UKRegistered User regular
    edited November 2019
    kaid wrote: »
    Episode being 30 minutes kind of actually bugs me

    Well, little over 28 (about 33 with credits) but why?

    30 minutes is really not enough time for a meaty show with due development and it showed. Half hour shows are the realm of comedies and sitcoms.

    I am a bit torn on it I would like more but frankly they are doing a good job so far of showing exactly what they intend to show without padding stuff out for the sake of padding and its working well for me so far.

    The second half of episode 1 had a Blurgh training montage because Nick Nolte said that was the only way for the Mandalorian to reach his destination. The first half of episode 2 had the Mandalorian returning back to his ship... on foot!

    Why he didn't just fly his ship nearer to his destination is a mystery.

    Oakey on
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    DocshiftyDocshifty Registered User regular
    The same reason he didn't walk right up to the door like IG did. As well, Nolte dude had to show him where the compound was. So he didn't have all the info he needed prior.

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    OakeyOakey UKRegistered User regular
    edited November 2019
    Good job he ran into Nick Nolte who taught him how to ride a Blurgh then or he'd never have found his bounty

    Oakey on
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    AthenorAthenor Battle Hardened Optimist The Skies of HiigaraRegistered User regular
    Oakey wrote: »
    Good job he ran into Nick Nolte who taught him how to ride a Blurgh then or he'd never have found his bounty

    The force works in mysterious ways.

    He/Him | "A boat is always safest in the harbor, but that’s not why we build boats." | "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." - Suletta Mercury, G-Witch
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    MegaMan001MegaMan001 CRNA Rochester, MNRegistered User regular
    If these episodes were closer to sixty minutes or whatever then I'm certain the comments would be how padded the writing was.

    I am in the business of saving lives.
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    Romantic UndeadRomantic Undead Registered User regular
    Oh and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like "I have spoken" is real likely to get some real-life play in our household.

    3DS FC: 1547-5210-6531
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    Styrofoam SammichStyrofoam Sammich WANT. normal (not weird)Registered User regular
    MegaMan001 wrote: »
    If these episodes were closer to sixty minutes or whatever then I'm certain the comments would be how padded the writing was.

    Given that theyre already padding the shorter episodes, maybe

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    PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    Oakey wrote: »
    The other interpretation is that they simply couldn't come up with enough content to fill 45-60mins which would be something. Right now we're a quarter of the way through the season and it feels like it's barely getting started.

    Yeah episode two basically advanced nothing.

    Disagree, we learn that the baby has force powers, we had assumed but now we know. We also get to see some characterization from the Mando, he asked the ugnaut to join him on his ship which shows he's not a loner by choice he is perfectly fine to ask for help, and was respectful when the man politely declined having mentioned he got out of servitude and didn't want to jump back into it, which implies he probably in his past had some forced work of his own.

    And we learned there was another set of bounty hunters after the baby.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

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    lwt1973lwt1973 King of Thieves SyndicationRegistered User regular
    Athenor wrote: »
    Oakey wrote: »
    Good job he ran into Nick Nolte who taught him how to ride a Blurgh then or he'd never have found his bounty

    The force works in mysterious ways.
    Han Solo wrote:
    That's not how the Force works!

    "He's sulking in his tent like Achilles! It's the Iliad?...from Homer?! READ A BOOK!!" -Handy
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    SixSix Caches Tweets in the mainframe cyberhex Registered User regular
    MegaMan001 wrote: »
    If these episodes were closer to sixty minutes or whatever then I'm certain the comments would be how padded the writing was.

    Well, these shorter episodes already feel kind of padded, so probably. There’s a difference between feeling tight, where a story is told efficiently and without what feels like filler, and feeling thin, where there just doesn’t feel like there’s all that much there to tell.

    So far, The Mandalorian feels a little thin.

    can you feel the struggle within?
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